Lucknow: After SC query, govt lodges FIR against 30 cops

With the Supreme Court expressing serious concern at the detention of a 10-year-old rape victim in Bulandshahr, the state government on Wednesday lodged an FIR against the entire team of police personnel posted at the women police station and also suspended two more cops in this connection.

With the Supreme Court expressing serious concern at the detention of a 10-year-old rape victim in Bulandshahr, the state government on Wednesday lodged an FIR against the entire team of police personnel posted at the women police station and also suspended two more cops in this connection.

The apex court on Wednesday took suo-motu note of the incident and sought an explanation from the Uttar Pradesh government as to why the minor was locked up in the first place. Referring to media reports, the SC bench headed by chief justice Altamas Kabir said: “How can the police detain a 10-year old girl?”

It first asked the state's additional advocate general Gaurav Bhatia to appear before the court. On being informed that he was out of Delhi, the bench directed the UP government to reply by April 15. On April 8, the cops at the police station had put a 10 year-old Dalit girl in the lock-up for 20 hours when her parents brought her to the women police station to lodge an FIR against the rapist.

Additional director general (law and order) Arun Kumar on Wednesday said preliminary reports showed the victim was not treated properly at the police station. However, 'no injury' was found in the preliminary medical report while the pathology report was also negative, he said.

Bulandshahr district police chief Gulab Singh had earlier suspended two constables Neeru and Sonia and attached SO Gayashree Chauhan and SI Sarita Dwivedi to the police lines. But with the apex court issuing notice to the government, the state police rushed to take further action against all 30 cops at the police station. Chauhan and Dwivedi were also suspended.

Kumar said main accused Harendar Lodh alias Bauna had been arrested. Two more persons, Kaluwa and Inderpal, who were accused of abusing the victim's parents in the village, had also been taken into custody. Security in the village too has been beefed up, he added.